Poco X3 Pro review: Good performance, modest cameras but unwieldy and heavy
Poco X2 (review) is
the last smartphone from Chinese smartphone brand Poco that I tested. Though
among the good ones of its time, the smartphone left me in the lurch simply
because I was expecting Poco to make a comeback after a silent gap of over two
years after the Poco F1. The next Poco smartphone that I
used after about a year, the Poco X3 Pro, seemed to be a performance-centric
package. With Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 system-on-chip in tow, the Poco X3 Pro is
touted to be the spiritual successor to the Poco
F1. But is it really that? Let’s find out:
Poco
X3 Pro: Design
Poco is one of the brands that do not shy away from experimenting
with radical colour themes in their smartphones. That
legacy continues with the Poco X3 Pro. Aimed at young buyers, the phone comes
in three jazzy colour options – graphite black (review unit), steel blue and
golden bronze. The colour theme is accentuated by an unconventionally shaped
rear camera module and an intriguing patterned design on the back cover.
Speaking of the back cover, it is made of good quality polycarbonate featuring
a thick glossy stripe at the centre sandwiched between stripes in matte finish
on the sides. The centre stripe features a Poco logo, which is big enough to
come to notice but outlined for minimal distraction. Rounding up the package is
the IP53 rating, which is good to handle minor water splashes and dust abuse.
It is, however, strongly advised not to expose the phone to either water or
dust as both can damage the phone severely. While the overall design is good,
the build is uninspiring. The Poco X3 Pro is big, heavy and bulky. It weighs
213g and is 9.4mm thick on its thinnest side.
Poco X3 Pro: Display
Not much seems to have changed here since the Poco X2 and the
display on the Poco X3 Pro is mediocre at best. The phone sports a 6.67-inch
LCD screen of a fullHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) resolution, stretched in a tall
20:9 aspect ratio. Though the screen does well with contrast, it seems off with
regard to colours, brightness and viewing angles. The screen supports HDR10,
but the panel’s abysmal brightness hampers its utility to a large extent. The
brightness might not be good enough for HDR10 content, but it does not temper
the screen’s sunlight legibility. It is also a competent screen for fast-paced
games like Call of Duty Mobile, thanks to the 240Hz touch sampling rate. As for
the refresh rate, the screen goes up to 120Hz and variably adjusts it based on
on-screen content requirements. That said, the user interface (UI) transitions
appear lively and enhances user experience (UX) in regular operations
(browsing, social media, etc). Being an LCD panel, the phone’s display does not
include the on-screen fingerprint sensor, which is placed beneath the
side-mounted power button. It is safe, fast and accurate and one of the best
things this smartphone offers.
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